Vaginal plasma cells of immunized and non‐immunized mice before and 20 hr after vaginal challenge with wild‐type herpes simplex virus type‐2 (HSV‐2). The numbers of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin A (IgA) plasma cells in the vagina were significantly higher in the vaginal‐DP group than in non‐immunized mice, with or without vaginal challenge (IgG: P < 0·0001 before challenge, P < 0·0001 after challenge; IgA: P = 0·0021 before challenge, P < 0·0001 after challenge; Mann–Whitney U‐test), and they were also significantly higher in the vaginal‐E‐scar group (IgG: P = 0·0089 before challenge, P < 0·0001 after challenge; IgA: P = 0·0011 before challenge, P = 0·0005 after challenge; Mann–Whitney U‐test). Plasma cell numbers in nasally immunized mice were not significantly different from those in non‐immunized mice without challenge (IgG: P = 0·68; IgA: P = 0·28; Mann–Whitney U‐test).